Comics I Like

Nobody asked but here's a bunch of webcomic recommendations!! All are free to read and written/drawn by indie artists.

https://peepspocket.neocities.org/comics I follow dozens of webcomics and I'm regularly checking out new ones. My criteria for judging comics are similar to other media, chiefly:

1. Is it gay?
2. If it's not gay it better be the most INCREDIBLE SHIT I've ever seen
3. How are the themes?
4. Bonus points for animals

A note on lore dumps: Most of what I read is fantasy. That said, I do feel pretty strongly that worldbuilding and lore should be as unintrusive as possible—a long-winded lecture about the intricacies of invented politics or made-up magic mechanics just doesn't interest me. I'm looking to go on an emotional journey—if the background details are so snarled that I can't follow what's going on, I'm likely just going to bail. In general, I place a lot of value on an intuitive premise. I think it takes skill to construct a premise that is both simple and engaging, and to extract enough material to weave a full narrative.

TLDR, if you're into colorful art, whimsical subjects, and emotional storytelling, this is the list for you.

Nevermore

Creator: Kate Flynn & Kit Trace
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Victorian dark fantasy death game mystery romance
Gay: Probably
Lore Dumps: Not really
Lovable Animal Companion: NO???
Okay, remember all that stuff I said earlier about a simple premise? Now throw all that out. This is a dark fantasy story with a Victorian aesthetic, heavily inspired by Edgar Allen Poe literature. The protagonist (named Lenore, of course) wakes up with no memories on a gloomy, deserted beach surrounded by spirit orbs (??) and horrifying monsters. We learn that she is dead, and this is the afterlife. Only right up the path from the beach is an academy—for some reason after death you go to school, and if you pass the exam at the end of the term you get a "second chance" at life. Also, everyone at the school has the ability to transform into some sort of spirit, monster, or other magical (usually horrific) being, each determined by the circumstances of their death. What would they use this power for? Why, to face the fantastical trials set out by the school, each taking place in a surreal pocket dimension, of course! Then the "deans" of the school reveal that only one student will be awarded this "second chance", so now this has become a deadly competition. But we learn fairly early that the school is a new addition to this purgatory island, so maybe the whole death school thing is a all contrivance after all?? It all sounds crazy when you write it down, but it's introduced so fluidly that it somehow feels perfectly natural. And holy crap, this story is a wild ride with a lesbian main romance, lively characters, plenty of drama, and my favorite thing of all—FRIENDSHIP!!!

RAINBOW!

Creator: Angel & Sunny Gloom
Status: Complete
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Gay: Yes
Lore Dumps: None
Lovable Animal Companion: Animal companion with minimal personality
If you've ever wanted to look at the dreamiest pastel art while your heart is repeatedly stomped on, this is your webcomic. The aesthetic is enchanting and the design for the main character is immediately endearing. She's pastel, cute, and—huge bonus—she's fat, and it's not a plot point. Never even comes up. All that said, the sparkly aesthetic belies how real the story gets. This is a romance, but before that, it's a story about dealing with really terrible parents, a coming-of-age story for a child with way too much weight on their shoulders.

Castle Swimmer

Creator: Wendy Lian Martin
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Gay: Yes
Lore Dumps: Minimal
Lovable Animal Companion: Yes
Probably my #1 recommendation to ANYONE, Castle Swimmer is a beautiful story about self-worth and purpose. The art style has a lovely storybook quality, and with the oceanic setting, even the most mundane panels are a joy to look at. I would consider the story and lore very accessible to casual readers.

Realta

Creator: Rachel Eaton
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Gay: Deeply
Lore Dumps: Moderate
Lovable Animal Companion: Yes
This is a charming, heartfelt story about family, grief, and personal identity. Also, gender. The premise takes inspiration from astrological imagery, making for very cool character concepts. This one was front-loaded with lore, which usually puts me off, but the information is given in a digestible quantity and balanced with pleasing, stylized illustrations.

Say Something

Creator: Robin Daehling
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Urban Fantasy Horror
Gay: Yup
Lore Dumps: Zero
Lovable Animal Companion: Sort of
I don't typically follow horror-type stories, but the setup for Say Something is so gripping that I had to binge the first six chapters in one sitting. The premise is ingeniously simple, and the storytelling is so charged with anxious emotion that you instantly sympathize with the protagonist. There's also gender in it!!